German Studies am Bard College Berlin

My first German classes were focused on creating a solid foundation in grammar, writing and speaking, which was very necessary for my later advancements. At the same time, these classes went beyond the merely linguistic aspect and involved learning about contemporary German culture, including music, books, films and even current political discussions. Furthermore, classes engaged with the city of Berlin through museum visits or other excursions, immersing the students in their living environment.

Once I started taking an advanced German language course, the focus was not only on learning, but also applying our German skills. Through frequent essay writing and tests, we were asked to keep our progress up and also create our own opinions and “personalities” in German. More room was given for presentations about specific topics related to German(y), and a lot of the time was reserved for class discussions and speaking in general. This was the time I started to actually feel fluent in German.

After taking language classes, I had the appropriate level to take German literature courses at BCB. These courses were centered around a certain theme, such as the Weimar republic, the relation between human and animal, and the German public sphere. Through reading novels, academic texts and poetry, watching films, news videos and TV debates, these classes were focused on deepening our understanding of very specific topics that are best understood in the original German language. Students could learn from each other in these classes; the different proficiency levels of the students required careful attention to what everyone had to say, also because these classes were meant for students speaking German not as their native language. These classes prepared me better to have difficult discussions and to speak German in a more academic context.

After taking German for around 3 years at BCB, I am currently working as the school's German tutor, helping students learn German with grammar, speaking and writing. All the grammar and general language skills I learned during my time at BCB, I now teach to the students who are studying the same as I once did. I think the strength of BCB's German language department is finding effective teaching strategies to make students understand rather complex grammar, through for example visual representations or other creative approaches. These strategies showed me at least that there is a logic to the German language!
 

Although being half-German myself, I have never lived in Germany, so it was only until I enrolled in German classes at Bard College Berlin where my language abilities developed into something useful that I was able to truly engage with the language and the city of Berlin around me. My first year at BCB I decided to take a C1 German class which, through its more rigid structure, massively improved my grammar, as well as helping develop my spoken and written word. Once comfortable, I moved on to German literature and political classes which were more discussion-based and explored both historical as well as contemporary written texts to develop the knowledge and vocabulary of the students enrolled. The beauty of the German Program at BCB is that they offer a range of courses to build your German knowledge, as well as explore further interests in German if your language skills have already reached a point of comfort. Being able to choose from more grammatical classes to literature classes provides choices for students with a range of German knowledge, as well as helps guide beginner students. I only have the warmest things to say about the German department and believe that anyone, whether you are A1 or C2, can learn from the German language classes at BCB.
 

Besides, my grandfather worked in Germany as a guest worker between 1970-75. For this reason, German language and culture have always been a matter of interest for me. I completed courses at Bard College Berlin from A2 to C1 level. Unlike my training in high school which ineffectively focused on pure grammar, the classes here, which incorporated many interdisciplinary elements, remarkably improved my German proficiency. Reading German literature, watching movies, presenting news, writing numerous essays in various fields are but few examples of such elements. Furthermore, small class sizes and friendly teachers made the classroom experience quite interactive, which allowed me to speak up frequently.

Then I took a German class at BCB and started to observe how well-structured and powerful the language was. Learning languages is my passion, which made the process of learning German a very delightful experience rather than a tiresome one. I am majoring in literature, so reading German authors' original texts was my other motivation to learn fast. First, I started to read fairy tales and poems and found out how beautiful, poetic and incredibly smooth German language can be. Lately I fulfilled the C1 proficiency level which helped me to become more confident and to overcome the fear of talking with native speakers. However, I always find that there is something to improve. I read the German dictionary for pleasure and enjoy delving into the roots of the words. I am always fascinated by the fact of how German never stops amazing me.
 

Das Bard College ist in Berlin, deshalb ist das Deutschprogramm wie die Wurzel, die diese Universität mit dem Land verbindet. Die Universität liegt wie eine kleine Insel mitten in einer historisch-kulturell reichen Stadt. Vor allem für uns Studierende ist es daher essentiell, das Wissen und die Strukturen zu ergründen, die das Land ausmachen, in dem wir jahrelang leben. Ich bin der Meinung, dass die Universität eine Verantwortung trägt, das Bewusstsein über das deutsche Umfeld zu fördern.

Obwohl ich an einer deutschen Oberschule mein Abitur gemacht habe, konnte ich in den Universitätskursen mein Wissen über bereits bekannte Themen vertiefen. Beispielsweise habe ich im ersten Semester den Kurs „Jewish Berlin from the Enlightenment to the Present“ belegt und dort tiefgreifend und umfassend Wissen über jüdisches Leben in Berlin gewonnen. In den nächsten Semestern habe ich Kurse zur German Public Sphere belegt, in denen wir uns mit aktuellen politisch-gesellschaftlichen Phänomenen auseinandergesetzt haben.

Eine meiner wichtigsten Erkenntnisse ist, dass wir zwar über Ereignisse in Deutschland sprechen, diese jedoch immer auch universell zu finden sind und in globale Kontexte verortet werden können. Deshalb überschneiden sich die Deutschkurse mit Inhalten von anderen Seminaren an der Universität. Die Inhalte wurden sehr verständlich vermittelt, kritisch hinterfragt und gemeinschaftlich erarbeitet. Die Seminardiskussionen waren sehr lebendig, dynamisch und fordernd.

Darüber hinaus habe ich sehr geschätzt, dass die Eigeninitiative von Studierenden im Kurs gefördert wurde und wir uns neben Partizipation durch Literaturvorschläge und Präsentationen intensiv einbringen konnten. Ich habe den Eindruck gehabt, dass die Nichtmuttersprachler sich problemlos und leistungsstark am Seminar beteiligt haben. Wenn sie mehr Zeit benötigt haben, um Inhalte zu verstehen oder die richtige Formulierung zu finden, haben die Lehrenden immer sehr geduldig reagiert. Deshalb sollten die Studierenden sich unbedingt ausprobieren und keine Angst davor haben, einen Deutschkurs zu belegen. Man kann nur dazu lernen und gewinnen.